This invention relates to a manipulator for use with a lift truck attachment which enables the attachment to access a load located on either widthwise side of the lift truck.
A lift truck is a self-propelled vehicle equipped with a movable, frame, referred to as a carriage, which can be raised and lowered along an upright mast. Various attachments, such as forks or clamps for supporting or grasping a load, can be mounted on the carriage so that the lift truck can raise and lower the load.
A typical lift truck is designed so that a load being supported, transported, or otherwise handled by the lift truck is disposed directly in front of the lift truck. However, in some situations, it is desirable for a lift truck to be able to grasp a load located to a widthwise side of the lift truck. For example, in factories and warehouses, merchandise is often stored on shelves or in rows of pallets separated by an aisle. If a lift truck situated in such an aisle is capable of grasping merchandise located on a widthwise side of the lift truck instead of the lift truck having to be turned within the aisle so as to directly face the merchandise, the lift truck can be operated in a narrow aisle only slightly wider than the width of the lift truck, thus enabling more merchandise to be accommodated in a given floor area.